Tanizaki Kazuo
'The skillful fighter puts himself into a position which makes defeat impossible, and does not miss the moment for defeating the enemy.'" Tanizaki Kazuo is the head of Tanizaki Heavy Industries Profile Appearance Kazuo wears a simple black business suit. His black hair has a few slight flecks of grey in it, and he has merciless, coal-black eyes. Biography The Dark Lords Ascendant Chapter One: Before the Storm Wanting a challenge Kazuo hired the freelance assassin Ariwara Akio to kill him. Unfortunately Akio proved to be little more then a distraction even when Kazuo’s dismissal of him ignited the assassin’s anger causing him to unleash his ultimate technique. He was able to defeat him with casual ease and left him on the floor sobbing in agony, it here that Kazuo revealed to Akio that he was the one who hired him. Knowing that death was only moments away the assassin tried begging for his life. At the words, Kazuo refused to dirty his hands and had Zhang kill him instead. As he went back to looking over his worldwide influence Zhang apologized for how weak Akio turned out to be, but as he had never really expected much to begin with his dismissed it. The discussion of finding a worthy opponent brought the conversation to Doctor Metzger and his experiments. Zhang informed him that he has finished his physical evaluation of Unit Zero, and Ekim will shortly complete his testing of the mystical aspects. Chapter 4: Failure to Communicate Kazuo and Zhang’s first stop of the day was to Mr. Nagai who confirmed that the Russian-owned Tochnost Armaments one of the countless businesses that Kazuo controlled through an elaborate series of shell corporations and legal sleight of hand would be banned from selling to Africa warlords. However Kazuo knew full well the UN would eventually place sanctions on them, which would allow him to start selling the weapons through his black market dealers at a vastly inflated price. Their next stop was Ekim. The thaumaturgic binding for Unit Zero weren’t done yet and Kazuo wanted to know why. Ignoring the theriatrics as they entered his chambers they found him sitting at an alter with his back turned to them. Ekim was furious at the notion the he had failed but once again Kazuo ignored the theriatrics and threatened to replace him. The notion that he was somehow inferior nearly caused Ekim to attack Kazuo only to be stopped by him flooding the room with killing intent. Kuzuo told Ekim that under no uncertain terms he needed to stop dragging his feet. Unable to hide his fear Ekim agreed. After they left Kuzuo chastise himself for still allowing Ekim’s childish egotism to effect him. Zhang who knew just how difficult Ekim was offered his employer his sympathy. Kazuo was perfectly aware why Ekim was late in his assignment and had already taken steps to stop him. Their next stop was to go see Doctor Metzger. However they were interrupted by Captain Davidson demanding to know when he and his men would see action. The mercenaries were not only getting restless but going through withdrawals. One of the mercenaries tried to attack him, but was quickly incapacitated. This caused the others to back down and drag their still screaming companion out. They found Metzger as he was experimenting on a Daimon. Kazuo had come to Metzger because of his recommendation to perform another test run on Unit Zero at a higher limiter release. Since they had never exceeded ten percent this was a massive request. Metzger knew this, but since a lot dealt with mysticism he needed to be sure of all flaw. Hearing the dismissal in his employer's voice when he thanked him Metzger went back to the operating table. However he did inform him that the Project Janus learned that the Sailor Senshi were going to have a scuffle later that afternoon. Kazuo and Zhang left to the pleading sobs of the Daimon. While Project Janus wasn’t always reliable Kazuo still had a surveillance team stake out the area just in case. Hours later Kazuo was being informed of the battle between Ranma and the Senshi. He recognized Ranma’s name as he had grown quite renowned in martial arts circles. There was also the rumors about him during the lost year. Ranma’s involvement with the Senshi gave proof to those rumors and thus opened up possibilities for them. Wanting to know when Ranma would next clash with the Sailor Senshi Kazuo had Zhang contact Metzger and tell him to put as much pressure on Project Janus as he could. Another fight between the two would provide Metzger the perfect opportunity to perform his test. Chapter 5: The Opening Moves After getting what he could from the Janus Project Doctor Metzger called Kazuo, Zhang and Ekim to inform them that Ranma and the Senshi would be fighting in an abandoned warehouse. He also warned that Sailor Saturn would be there. Zhang pointed out that this could be a good thing. Kazuo agreed so had Doctor Metzger deploy a full squad of Synths to the area where Sailor Saturn will be fighting, while having Zhang watch for opportunities to do the test run of Unit Zero without drawing suspicions. Chapter 6: Best Laid Plans Zhang watched from concealment the battle between the Senshi and NWC waiting for the perfect opportunity to test Unit Zero. His opportunity came when Sailor Moon transformed into Princess Serenity forcing Ranma to surrender. The instant Kazuo lowered the thaumaturgic inhibitors, Unit Zero attacked Sailor Moon with a ferocity far exceeding all projections. Doctor Metzger and Ekim were barely able to bring the inhibitors back up and stabilize the connection before irreparable damage was caused. At the same time he sent a bunch of Synth’s to get a sample of Sailor Saturn’s blood, but that operation failed do to the intervention of Ryoga. Zhang was discussing the results of the testing with Kazuo when they were interrupted by the arrival of Ranma, Mousse and Konatsu. Zhang wasn’t confident that he could kill all of them, and even if he could he would just be killing their pawns so Kazuo opted to talk to them instead. He offered to meet with Ranma face to face. While Ranma didn’t trust him he agreed as he wanted to get to the bottom of things. Mousse finally recognized Zhang as they were about to follow him to Kazuo’s location. Zhang stood there taunting an enraged Mousse as Ranma tried to hold him back. Eventually he broke free of Ranma and attacked, only for his attacked to be casually deflected. Ranma waited for the right moment to intervene in the fierce struggle, which Zhang provided when he began attacking. Ranma knocked Mousse away before Zhang could strike him and he focused his attention on Ranma Konatsu appeared behind him with his sword to his throat. Zhang had made no move to even defend himself against the new attackers, or to continue his own attack. So Ranma focused on calming Mousse down. He decided to go with Zhang alone telling Mousse and Konatsu to held back and if they didn’t hear back from him by the end of the day to find the Senshi and tell them what happened. Reluctantly the two agreed. Chapter 7: Among the Enemy Kazuo once again called Nagai into the conference room, to ask him to sit in on his meeting with Ranma as a way to gain his trust. While Ekim didn’t know why they were going through so much trouble for little more then pawns. Kazuo felt this was the best way to keep the Senshi out of their hairs. Though he did assure them he had other options if Ranma refused to cooperate. When Zhang led Ranma into the conference room he instantly picked out Tanizaki Kazuo. As Ranma adjusted himself to the resources Kazuo had he introduced him to Nagai, Ekim, and Metzger. Kazuo explained that after hearing about Sailor Moon rewriting reality he’s spent the last three years trying to come up with a countermeasure to that power, and apologized Ranma and his friend getting mixed up in it. Naturally Ranma didn’t believe a word he said but agreed to along with keeping the Senshi’s attention so that he could learn what Kazuo was really after. The first place Kazuo took Ranma to was Ekim’s work station. Ranma walked through the rows upon rows of tomes, incense, magic circles and the like that Tanizaki had collected feeling his skin crawl a little as he did. Ranma tried to warn them about how dangerous magic was only to lose interest when Ekim feeling insulted started bragging about being the Chosen of the Nameless One, however he regained it again when Kazuo mentioned that with all the magical knowledge the gained they could break curses. Realizing how much Kazuo had done his homework Ranma listened as he continued his tour. Kazuo didn’t show him anything with a direct bearing, just pointless distractions, as well as revealing how much he knew about him and the others. The next place Kazuo took them to was the domain of Doctor Metzger. Metzger showed Ranma the Synths and Kazuo told him that Ryoga had been hurt in a fight with them. Though he made it seem like they were sent to rescue him from Sailor Saturn and Ryoga misunderstood their intensions. As worry over Ryoga gnawed at Ranma Metzger led them to Captain Davidson and his mercenaries. Davidson was sparing with a Synth and noticed the group after killing it. After hearing that Ranma was a potential new hire Captain Davidson, became enraged and accused Kazuo of trying to replace him and his men. He became even more so when Kazuo stated that even with the serum they weren’t a match for Ranma. His aim was to provoke a fight between the two so he could see Ranma in combat. He apologized for his employees’ inexcusable behavior when Davidson attacked Ranma and was easily defeated, but Ranma shrugged it off as he was more focused on the Synth that Davidson had been fighting. Leaving the others behind Kazuo took Ranma to the lair Wyrmspawn, before taking him to his personal office so that Ranma could give him his answer. By this point Ranma had figured out that Kazuo’s plan wasn’t to create a countermeasure to Sailor Moon but to steal her abilities for himself. While Kuzuo still tried to convince Ranma of his sincerity, the fact that he’d already been stabbed in the back he wasn’t buying it. With his decision made the two fight with Kazuo promising to confess his entire plan to Sailor Moon if Ranma won. Nothing Ranma did allowed him to gain the upper hand all techniques were blocked and openings were quickly closed. In the end Ranma ended up with Kazuo’s two fingers an inch away from his eye. However instead of finishing off Kazuo let him go. During the fight Kazuo was able to cut off a piece of Ranma’s pigtail which he had Zhang give it to Ekim to perform a spell on Ranma. Personality The primary antagonists of The Dark Lords Ascendant, Tanizaki Kazuo's plans are often intricate and Machiavellian. While his behavior is often ruthless and amoral, he's a polite, soft-spoken intellectual, often addressing his subordinates by their given names. He rarely shows any sign of alarm or distress, and often has entire situations planned out well in advance. Whenever confronted, Kazuo is casual and uncaring, attempting to draw out a conversation and make small talk. He is obsessed with obtaining power, to this end he collects magical artifacts like baseball cards, to try and pick them apart to see what he can get out of them. He has no qualms about stealing, defacing sacred and historical landmarks, or experimenting on sentient beings. He even goes so far as building a spaceship so that he can searcg other planets for ways to make himself more powerful. Perhaps Kazuo' greatest strength is the fact that is a very crafty and a cunning man. He can deceive and manipulate others around him in different ways for a variety of purposes. Even when defeated his plans often work out beneficially to him in one way or another. He has a great talent for analyzing and observing everything in his presence, allowing him to understand a person's pattern of thinking and better manipulate them. He can formulate well thought out plans several steps ahead of others, some of which have a long term in mind. He is masterful at plans within plans, such as setting up Ranma and his friends as scapegoats to the Sailor Senshi. However this is also shown his greatest weakness under the façade of niceness he is a very condescending and arrogant man. Throughout the story as Ranma has repeatedly foiled his plans he’s gained increasingly common flashes of fury, that he refused to act on in order to stay in control. However, it is evident that Tanizaki is losing his cool, and getting increasingly desperate. Abilities Tanizaki is a master of the Tanizaki-style Five Fist school Category:Characters Category:Tanizaki Heavy Industries